Monday, September 24, 2007

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 24,2007) - The Transparency International Bosnia (TI BiH) Board of Directors Chairman Boris Divjak described the Bosnian authorities’ treatment of corruption as “unacceptable” and warned that if the “implementation of anticorruption measures does not start immediately, the consequences could be far-reaching and inconceivable”.

“The Bosnian authorities are still an integral part of the problem of corruption by not doing anything on addressing this problems, which raises suspicion among Bosnian citizens that the Bosnian authorities are also involved in illegal activities”, Divjak said in his address at the second workshop on social integrity organised by TI BiH with the support of the Bosnian Open Society Fund in the northern Bosnian city of Banja Luka.

The “Advancing Social Integrity” project implemented by TI BiH is aimed at offering recommendations for improving the fight against organised crime in cooperation with expert, Bosnian state institutions and civil society organisations.

Achieving a broad consensus on anticorruption measures needs to contribute to the quality of solutions and real progress in the fight against corruption.

Transparency International research has shown that the risks of corruption in the aforementioned areas are extremely high, while corruption represents the greatest threat to the Bosnian society.

Numerous cases of illegal privatisations, drastic violations of laws on public purchases and intransparent management of public finances have cost Bosnia almost 1 billion Bosnian Marks (720 million US Dollars) a year, and even more worrying than this is that such behaviour can be expected to continue in the future,Divjak said.

VISOKO, Bosnia (September 24,2007) - The long-awaited reconstruction of the Old Bosnian royal town of Visoki is finally in progress.

"I'm really happy that the works started, because my wish is that Visoko get its own "Vranduk", or a castle like the people have in Doboj. I don't know how much time will be necessary, what the costs will be, but if the development of the research program respects our expectations, it will become a very important archaeological project. Next year, we expect the help and support from cantonal and/or other institutions too. The medieval Bosnian royal town Visoki was never systematically researched, and is of crucial importance for the history of Bosnia, and it must be said, it should be remembered that the Bosnian royal town of Visoki is older than the Bosnian royal town of Bobovac."said Prof. Senad Hodovic, the Director of the Homeland Museum in Visoko.

"A great number of people is involved into efforts and preparation works to allow multiple research at more Bosnian national monuments at the same time. In my humbleness, my coworkers and the people of the municipal services do know very well how much efforts were necessary in order to realize this aim. But I would like to underline the importance of the ongoing contemporaneous research on different national monuments in Visoko," he said.

"First of all, the reconstruction works of the mosque of Thaban is continuing already more then a year, the cesspol is completed, the work on the fountain is underway. I believe, once the paving and decoration works are completed, it will be a beautiful object," Hodovic added.

"Also, the research project in Okolosite is going on for the 6th straight year. This year, the experts from the Bosnian National Museum (Zemaljski Muzej) are colaborating together with the experts of the German archaeological Institute. The Homeland Museum from Visoko is not involved into this project because of the lack in personell," he said.

"But, one of the most important events is the new beginning of the research campaign at the medieval Bosnian royal town of Visoki. The Bosnian public is well informed about the project, and everything was arranged through transparent manner. 50.000 Bosnian Marks were approved for the probe and elaboration works by the Bosnian Minsitry Of Culture & Sports, 200.000 Bosnian Marks were dedicated to the project by the Ministry of Public Works, which is also responsible for the protection of the Bosnian national monuments, and for the preservation of the archaeological location. the Homeland Museum from Visoko will organize a contract competition and those institutions who will satisfy the specific requests may participate in it," Hodovic said.

Ten days ago, the works on the locality of the old Bosnian royal town of Visoki intensified. Mrs. Lidija Pekeza leads the research team composed by the representatives of the Bosnian Commission To Preserve National Monuments, the experts from the Bosnian National Museum and representatives of the Homeland Museum from Visoko.

A week ago started the cleaning operations of the archaeological location and acquisition of the necessary material. The team of experts and workers composed by a group of fifteen people went to the location and the official research project of the medieval Bosnian royal town of Visoki has officially begun. The preliminary research will endure for about fifteen days. Later, the group of experts will prepare an elaboration for the archaeological field survey, for the analysises of the artifacts found during the probe excavations in 1976, as well for the accidentally discovered items during the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.The work done will form the basis for the future projects.

The Old Town of Visoki was a famous medieval Bosnian royal town and castle during the fourteenth century.It is located in the central Bosnian town of Visoko. The first recorded mention of the town was on September 1st, 1355, even though many believe that the town was established years earlier.

The main function of the fortress of Visoki was to serve as a defensive outpost. However, it is also the location where many important historic documents of the medieval Bosnian Kingdom were written and signed. The last important document signed there was by the Bosnian Prince Tvrtko Borovinic in 1436.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 24,2007) – At the Bosnian state border crossing in Izacic the post mortem remains of four Bosnian citizens were transferred to Bosnia from Croatia. The bodies of the genocide victims were found in a mass grave at the Hrvatska Kostajnica area (Croatia), the head of the Bosnian Commission for Missing Persons,Amor Masovic said.

The bodies found are the remains of four Bosnian citizens from the northern Bosnian city of Prijedor who were murdered by the genocidal Serbian aggressor in July of 1992 in the Carkovo area.

Their identity was confirmed by the DNA method. The bodies identified are: the Behic family members: Izet (the son of Munib) (1966), Redzep, (the son of Mustafa), (1956),Fikret Behlic (the son of Esad) (1963), and Esad Kaltak (the son of Islam) (1947).

Masovic said that the bodies were exhumed in 1998. However, the Croatian authorities had thought that they belonged to the Croatian citizens for whom they could have found no DNA match.

The genocide victims were finally identified within a joint program initiated by the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) and the Croatian government.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 24,2007) - A total of 23 indictees are expected to appear before the War Crimes Chamber of the Bosnian State Court this week.The Prosecution is due to continue presenting evidence against Croatian war criminal Pasko Ljubicic from Monday, 24 September to Wednesday, 26 September.

The former member of the Croatian aggressor's formations is charged with having participated in the attack against Bosnian civilians in Busovaca and Vitez municipalities during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia in the early 90's.

On 24 and 28 September, the trial of Croatian war criminals Marko Radic, Dragan Sunjic, Damir Brekalo and Mirko Vracevic before the Bosnian State Court is due to continue. The indictment alleges that they participated in the persecution, murder, detention, torture, rape and maltreatment of Bosnian civilians from the southenr Bosnian city of Mostar during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia.

On Monday, 24 September, six Defence witnesses are due to appear at the trial of Serbian war criminal Zeljko Lelek before the Bosnian State Court.Lelek was indicted for crimes against humanity he committed as a member of the Serbian aggressor's formations in the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad. On the same day and also on 25 September, the trial is due to continue in the case of Sefik Alic, a former member of the Bosnian Army charged with killings of captured Serbian aggressor's soldiers in 1995.

According to the official timetable of the Bosnian State Court, on 26 September the Prosecution will continue presenting material evidence at the trial of Serbian war criminal Jadranko Palija. The former member of the genocidal military forces of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS) is indicted for the murder of a group of Bosnian civilians, the rape of one Bosnian woman and the unlawful capture of Bosnian civilians in the western Bosnian town of Sanski Most.

The defence teams of the 11 Serbian war criminals charged with genocide committed against Bosnians in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica in 1995,during the Serbian aggresion against Bosnia, are due to continue presenting evidence on 26 and 27 September.

On 27 September, the defence teams of Serbian war criminals Zdravko Bozic, Mladen Blagojevic, Zeljko Zaric and Zoran Zivanovic are due to cross-examine a protected Prosecution witness, who recognised the indictees at the hearing held on 19 September and also claimed that they had committed the crimes against Bosnian civilians in the eastern Bosnian town of Bratunac during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.